Plug packer



Oct. n

P. H. MACK PLUG PACKER Filed May ll. 1921 INx/ENTOR.

Patented Cet. 21, 1924. v i

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ENT--QFF1CE- 'rATnroK'I-I; MACK, or BRADFORD. yPENNSYIArANrA;AssreNon -`rro oir;` wenn s'UrrLY ejooMPANY, ONPITTSBURGH, PnNNsvLvnN'La,` n oonroRAm'r'oN or rENNsYi.VANIA.

:PLUG PACKER,

Application filed May 11, 1921. Serial. Nol 468,786.- l 'f Be ityknown that I, PATRICK H. Macri, a citizen of the United States. residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and-useful Improvementsin Plug Packers, of which the Jfollowing is a specification.' a y luy invention relates to well packers, and morepartieularly to what are known commercially asv bottom hole plug-packers, adapted for use as plugs for shutting ofi" water, etc., from the lower level or levels of the well.

Among the objects of the present inventionl are, to provide a new and improved sectional plug packer formed of wood, lead, or other suitable material, and of simple, cheapand efficient construction;` a packer capable of being readily placed infposition at=the `bottom ofthe well. and when so positioned, easily manipulated tov expandathe packerstructure toform a tight seal; a packer of the characterstated including a body portioncomprising a plurality of assembledy members designed to be moved laterallylor radially by a wedging action for thepurposeof expanding theA packer structure` during the` operation of setting the packer, saidv movements of the membersbeg ing preferably accomplished while retained bodyingmy invention, showingthe against relative longitudinal movement. f

. 4A- still further object is to provide a construction. providing for the free passage of fluids throughthe packer while it is being lowered to the desired position in the well. .In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate `an application of my invention,:. Fig. 1y is a part elevational and a part verticalsectional view of a plug packer-ernpacker in. the well andbefore it isset; z -;1`ig.y2:is v a view similar toFig. 1 showing the packer set; Figy,` a horizontal sectional view, the

; section being taken ont line III-IIIjxiof v y f .Fig 4. a partLplanand afpart sectional view, the section being taken on line IV--IY of Fig. l; f, Fig;` 5,'a'vdetail perspective view Show-` ing someI of. the members entering into the bodywportion'y of the packer; i E-igx, a perspective viewof the packer structure, particularly showing a modificationof thelmeans,` for lowering the-packer i into position.` 1 Y Y Referring t to ythe drawings,4 and as preferred, my 4improved 'packer structure includes a body-portion comprising la'` plurality of longitudinally yextending finen'ibers a 4plurality. of long-itudinallyf-` extending wedge members 3. and an expanding plug or member L4. lllemberslizandl are assembled to forma hollow `cylindrical bodv of a diameter slightly less than .the diameterA of the hole or well it is desired to pack, said membersbeing maintained in the desired positions ,for letting the1paclervdown intothe well by bottom platee, having a central aperture G, and by means of a wire 7 wound around ,the upper ends of lsaid members or theupper endet the packer body. The upper. endqof ythe expanding plug 4, as showny in ,the form ot Fig.-:1,*is providcdwitha metallic cap 8, said cap being formedv with a `central opening 9 and ahorizontal opening, 10, the latter being adapted to receive a pin 11 and the opening. 9 to have entered therein, so asto be secured to the remain'ingportiono the plug. 4 =-16 designatesgrooves sor .channels cut yinto the `portions` 14 ,and llofuthe plug 4, .and are-de,- signed to perniitthe` passageof {iuidstherethrough during the act of zloweringythe packer structure into the well.-l It willvbe understood thatl these passages 1.6l communicatelwith thecentral bore 17 of ',thebodyportion. of .the packer. i p y Asa-nadditional means fonV permitting the free passage of fluidslfrom the bore 17, 4 the members 2i, at theirupper endsmaybe formed with channels or grooves 18.

4.Inthepaclrer structure illustrated, have shown' three V'Inernbers` 2 and' .three .wedging members 3. The number of these members, however, may be varied so long as a wcdging member is interposed between adjacent edges of the members 2. Ileinbers 2 are each pro-- vided with an outer curved face a and inner slightly inclined faces b; while wedge menibers 3 are each` formed with bevellcd or slightly inclined faces c and with a curved slightly tapering inner face d.

Members 2 and 3 are assembled to foi-m a hollow cylindrical body having a slightly tapering central bore to receive the plug l. In setting the packer, itvwill be understood that the body will be ex anded by drivingr the plug 4 into the bore o the body and thatl the initial movement of the plug downwardly will abruptly spread the members at the upper portion of the body, break the wire 7, and break or bend the nails or pins 13, and that, in the construction shown, the expansion of the body will be effected by moving the members laterally while maintained against relative and against longitudinal movement, with respect to the walls of the hole.

By effecting the expansion while the bodymembers are maintained against longitudinal movement, I prevent the surfaces iii contact with the walls from being cut or formed` with channels or passages, as would be the case if these surfaces were moved longitudinally while in contact with the walls of: the well.

Forming a passage throu' h the body of the packer so as to permit o the passage of fluids, while lowering the packer into position, is of considerable importance in packers of this class.

While the packer structure may be made of any suitable material, I find wood to be a highl satisfactory material, and when made o wood, I prefer that the expanding plug be constructed of harder wood than the sectional-members constituting the body.

In the form of Fig. 6, I have shown different means for attaching the packer structure to the tool, not shown, in the operation of letting the packer down into the well, from the means shown in F ig. 1. In this latter form, I employ eyelets 19, secured to the respective members 3, and wires v2O attached at theirlower ends to said eyelets, the upper ends of the wires being secured to the tool, not shown.

What I claim is:

1. A plug packer comprising a circular body having series of vertically extending outer packing strips and a series of wedging strips alternately disposed between the acking strips, and means operable 1n the body for forcing the wedging strips radially outwardly.

2. A plug pac-ker comprising a circular body comprised of a radially disposed series of vertical outer members of inwardly de creasing width, a second series of inner members which are alternately disposed between the outer ones and of outwardly decreasing width, and means in the body for forcing the inner members radially outward.

3. A plug packer comprising a circular body comprising of a series of vertically extending outer packing members, a series of wcdging strips alternately disposed with the packing strips and fixed against vertical movement with respect thereto either before or after the setting of the packer, and operable in the body for forcing the wedging strips radially outward.

4. A plug packer comprising a substantially round body having a series of outer packing members forming the greater portion of the outside area of the body, a series of inner wedging members alternately disposed between the outer ones, and means for forcing the inner wedging members radially outward.

5. A plug packer comprising a substantially cylindrical body comprised of a series of vertically extending outer members, a series of inner wedging members, the outer and inner members being alternately arranged and substantially fixed against relative vertical movement, and expanding means movable vertically through the body relatively to both series of members for forcing the wedging members outwardly.

6. A plug packer comprising a substantially cylindrical body comprised of a series of vertically extending outer members, a series of inner wedging members substantially cti-extensive with the outer members, the outer and inner members being alternately arranged and substantially fixed against relative vertical movement, and expanding means movable vertically through the body relatively to both series of members for forcing the wedging members outwardly.

7. A plug packer comprising a substantially cylindrical body comprised of a series of vertically extending outer members, a series of inner wedging members, the outer andr inner members being alternately arranged and substantially fixed against relative vertical movement, and expanding means movable vertically through the vbody relatively to both series of members for forcing the wedging members outwardly, said body having a substantially open passage therethrough which is closed by the movenient of said expanding means to expanding position.

8. A. plug-packer comprising a plurality of movable members assembled to form a hollow body having a central bore, said members having longitudinally extending contacting faces a plug for effecting a lateral movement of the members for increasing the diameter cf the body, said plug CII i having a channel in communication with the bore.

9. A plug-for wells comprising a body including a plurality of longitudlnally extending members and a plurality of wedge members, one wedge member being interposed between adjacent faces of two of the longitudinally extending members, said wedge members having a curved and tapering inner face, and a tapering expanding plug coacting with said wedge members for effecting a lateral movement only of the body members to increase the diameter of the body.

10. A plug for wells comprising a lurality of longitudinally extending mem rs and a pluralit of wedgvmembers assembled to form a ho low body, one wedge member being interposed between adjacent faces of two of the longitudinally extending members, and an expanding plug movable relatively to both the longitudinally extending members and the wed e members coacting with the wedge memers for electing a lateral movement only of the body members to increase the diameter of the body.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK H. MACK. Witnesses:

W. G. DooLn'rLE, Los WINEMAN. 

